I’m so excited to bring you along on another Texas State Park adventure. This time, my dog Audi and I took a girls-only day trip 1.5 hours west of Dallas to Lake Mineral Wells State Park. Once we passed Fort Worth it was clear that we were already in “cattle country” and endless ranches lined both sides of the road.

Lake Mineral Wells is located in Mineral Wells (shocker). The city got its name when one of the early settlers drank water from his well and claimed it had cured his rheumatism. People began to flock to Mineral Wells to experience the curative waters for themselves.

Audi drank a whole bunch of lake water on this trip, so I’ll keep you updated on if she gains any superpowers. ;)

Like most State Parks, Lake Mineral Wells has opportunities for camping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, boating and fishing.

One thing that makes it unique is the rock climbing area. Penitentiary Hollow is made up of sandstone rock formations and is one of the few natural rock-climbing venues in North Texas according to their website.

The climbing area and the Red Waterfront Trail was a little crowded on the day I visited so I opted to drive to the other side of the lake where it was a lot more quiet. Audi and I walked the 3-mile, out-and-back Blue Waterfront Trail and even though the foliage was all dead and brown, it was a beautiful day.

I think this park would be really fun to visit in the summer months when everything is green and you can cool off on the lake but it was still fun to stretch our legs and get outside on a gorgeous January day.

Thanks for reading! xoxo